Ariana Hilborn

Ariana Hilborn
Hilborn at the 2016 Olympics
Personal information
Native nameAriana Hilborna
Birth nameAriana Kira Zvērs
Full nameAriana Kira Hilborn
Nationality Latvia
Born19 September 1980 (1980-09-19) (age 44)
Greendale, Wisconsin, U.S.
EducationArizona State University
Height167 cm (5 ft 6 in)[1]
Weight52 kg (115 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)Marathon, half marathon
ClubSonoran Distance Project
Coached byJohn Reich[2]
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)HM – 1:14.22 (2014)
Marathon – 2:35.21 (2014).[3]

Ariana Kira Hilborn (née Zvērs, Latvian: Ariana Hilborna, born 19 September 1980) is a US-born Latvian long-distance runner. She was born on 19 September 1980 in Greendale, Wisconsin, United States. All of her four grandparents were Latvians, who left Latvia at the end of World War II as refugees, and later emigrated to the U.S.[4] In 2014 Ariana Hilborn gained dual US-Latvian citizenship.

Hilborn disliked running in her teens and started training aged 23 to stay in shape.[2]

Ariana Hart ran 4:36:58 with her eventual husband in her first road race at 2008 PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon through Team In Training program.[5]

In December 2009, she ran her first sub 3-hour marathon after training with Arizona Road Racers and improving her weekly mileage to 70 miles per week.[6]

At 2010 Chicago Marathon, she missed the US Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier, but made it 3 months later at 2011 PF Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon in 2:45:37.[7] At 2011 Grandma's Marathon on 18 June, Hilborn was the 10th woman to finish in a personal best 2:37:28. Her story—and her finish photo—were inspiring enough for her image to be used in the following year's marketing campaign for the famed race from Two Harbors to Duluth.[8]

She attended the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials for the 2012 Summer Olympics marathon competition, and with the time 2:37.37 she ranked 29th.[9] At 2012 Grandma's Marathon on 16 June, Hilborn was the 6th woman to finish 2:40:08.

In 2013, Ariana Hilborn moved to Michigan and trained for 2013 Boston Marathon with Hansons-Brooks Distance Project and placed 22nd in 2:42:00.

In summer 2014 She trained in Flagstaff, Arizona running 110 – 125 miles per week. Hilborn placed fourth in 2:35:20 at 2014 USA Marathon Championships[10] and placed second at the Riga Marathon with a time of 2:40.22.[11]

IAAF transfer to Latvia approved in 2015.

Her result (2:40.32[3]) at the Ottawa Marathon on 29 May 2016 ranked her third among Latvian runners and secured a ticket to the 2016 Summer Olympics.[12] Hilborn finished 106th in 2:50:51 at Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's marathon.

  1. ^ Ariana Kira Hilborna Archived 26 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. rio2016.com
  2. ^ a b Ariana Hilborn Archived 10 August 2016 at the Wayback Machine. nbcolympics.com
  3. ^ a b "Ariana Kira Hilborna". IAAF.
  4. ^ LETA (19 May 2014). "Latviešu izcelsmes ASV skrējēja vēlas pārstāvēt Latviju Riodežaneiro Olimpiādē" (in Latvian). Diena. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  5. ^ "2008 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, Overall Results 3645 - 3744". marathonguide.com. 13 January 2008. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  6. ^ "September 28, 2016 - Final Surge Podcast Episode 16: Ariana Hilborn". finalsurge.com. 28 September 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  7. ^ "2011 Rock 'n' Roll Arizona Marathon, Overall Results 36 - 135 (5th place female)". marathonguide.com. 16 January 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  8. ^ Pates, Kevin (15 June 2012). "Meet the face of this year's grandma's marathon". Duluth News Tribune. Duluth, Minnesota. McClatchy-Tribune Business News.
  9. ^ "2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon". USA Track & Field. 14 January 2012. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  10. ^ "2014 U.S. Marathon Championship at 2014 Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon". USATF.org. 5 October 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
  11. ^ Dace Lina. "Amerikāņu skolotāja ar latviskiem mērķiem" (in Latvian). sporto.lv. Archived from the original on 15 April 2016. Retrieved 7 August 2016.
  12. ^ LETA (29 May 2016). "Latviešu izcelsmes skrējēja Hilborna Otavas maratonā izpilda olimpisko spēļu normatīvu" (in Latvian). Diena. Retrieved 7 August 2016.